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BMW 750iL
The BMW 750iL is a member of the BMW 7 Series of luxury vehicles produced by the German automaker BMW. Introduced in 1977, the 7 Series is BMW's flagship car and is only available as a sedan or extended-length limousine. The 750i was BMW's flagship sedan and was featured in the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies as the car driven by James Bond. Overview The BMW 750iL is a member of the the E38 generation (1994–2001) by that time, the 7 series was in it's third generation. The 750iL was essentially a long-wheelbase 750i (the "L" is from the German word for long, "lang"). In America, the model was sold as the 750iL; there was no E38 750i in the US lineup. The 750i (and iL) came with a 5.4 L V12 346 hp (258 kW; 351 PS) engine, as was used in the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph. Both variants had a five-speed automatic gearbox. Features of the BMW 750iL included high-pressure headlight washers, auto-leveling xenon HID headlamps (The E38 was the first car in the world to feature Xenon headlights), power moonroof, a sound system with 14 speakers and four subwoofers as well as 6-disc CD changer and rain-sensing wipers. BMW was also the first European car manufacturer to offer an integrated satellite navigation screen which featured on the E38 7 Series. The E38 was also the first generation of 7 series to be available with the option of a diesel, was the first BMW to have televisions fitted , the first to have a five speed automatic gearbox and the first car ever to be fitted with curtain airbags. Other features included an automatic climate control system with separate controls for the driver and passenger, a three-position memory system for the driver’s seat, safety-belt height, new steering wheel and outside mirrors. Front-seat side airbags and a Head Protection System (HPS) were also standard. The 750iL featured an all-leather interior with burl walnut trim. The continuous-motion Active Comfort Seat technology was introduced in 1998 to improve comfort and reduce fatigue for the driver and front passenger. James Bond's 750iL The BMW 750iL was Bond's provided vehicle for the 18th James Bond feature film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Used during sequences set in Germany, the car came equipped with a security system that sprayed tear gas and delivered electric shocks to intruders. The vehicle also came equipped with a fingerprint-protected safe hidden behind the passenger airbag compartment. The 750iL could be controlled remotely via Bond's Ericsson cell phone, which flipped open to reveal an LCD display and trackpad. Defense mechanisms included a roof-mounted rocket launcher, self-sealing and re-inflating tyres, a cable cutting device in the front bonnet emblem and a caltrop dispenser under the rear bumper. During a chase sequence in the Atlantic Hotel parking garage, its windshield (despite able to withstand sledgehammer blows) and rear window are shot out by a combination of grenades and assault rifle gunfire from Elliot Carver's henchmen.Who were at the wheel of two Mercedes S Classes, an Opel Senator Mk2 and a Ford Scorpio Mk1. Bond eventually eludes the thugs and drives the 750iL off the roof of the garage via remote control. The car ironically ends up crashing into an Avis car rental store at street level. In a deleted scene, while leaving Bond made the excuse "Left the keys in the car" to the civilians. Seventeen vehicles were used during filming of the German scenes. Four were adapted to be 'hidden driver' cars, in which a concealed driver would sit in the back using a small steering wheel. Video monitors were attached to cameras hidden in the wing mirrors and on top of the windscreen. Three more BMW's were used as backup for the hidden drivers. One car was equipped with the sliding glove compartment revealing a safe and only used for this one scene. Another, dubbed the 'cannon', was specially prepared to be propelled off the roof in the car chase's climax. It was stripped off as much weight as possible in order to be fired from a special rig. The remaining seven 'pristine' cars were used only for back-up and exterior shots, including one that was being kept in Hamburg for shooting there. Gadgets *On receiving the car, Q also notes that it comes equipped with machineguns, although they are not seen in use during the film. Images Tomorrow Never Dies - Avis Crash.jpg|Bond "returns" the 750iL to the Avis car rental company. Modified BMW 750iL (1).jpg|Behind the scenes with the modified vehicle; rear-seat driving controls with LCD monitor. Modified BMW 750iL (2).jpg|Behind the scenes with the modified vehicle; rear-seat driving controls with LCD monitor. Trivia *The car model supplied by BMW for Tomorrow Never Dies is actually a 740iL, re-badged as the 750iL. *BMW also supplied a $14,000 R1200C motorcycle. BMW received the rights to use movie clips from the film in its multimillion-dollar campaign, and during the 1997 holiday season they offered a special promotion that included the R1200C with the purchase of the 750iL. *The number plate of the BMW is almost the same as the Aston Martin DB5, which is B:MT 2144. **The size of the plate could indicate the car being a US-spec model. See also * BMW * BMW R1200 * Tomorrow Never Dies * List of James Bond vehicles __NOEDITSECTION__ Category:Vehicles Category:BMW Category:Automobiles Category:Bond's automobiles Category:Q-Branch vehicles Category:Driven by Bond Category:Tomorrow Never Dies vehicles